Old Friends and Helpful Elevators
by Terapsina
Summary: Years after their last meeting Elena and Elijah run into each other in an elevator which immediately breaks down.


**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

**AN**: anonymous asked: Elijah and Elena get stuck in an elevator for the prompt ask?

I haven't written for them in like 5 years, so this might be vastly out of character though I'm almost sure it's not. I'm also really sorry I'm posting this one shot instead of finishing that WIP that has haunted me for all those 5 years but well... yeah.

*o0O0o*  
***Old Friends and Helpful Elevators***  
*o0O0o*

Elena hasn't seen Elijah in fifteen years. So she is not expecting for that to change as she hurries - though carefully maintaining human speed - through the lobby of the publishing house to reach the elevator, late for a meeting with her editor.

A hand shoots out just as the doors are about to shut in her face.

"Thanks." She flashes a polite but absent smile in the general direction of the person that waited for her as she joins them in the elevator, eyes still on her phone typing a message to Mandy to tell her she'll be there in a minute.

"My pleasure, Elena." Answers the voice from her past.

She hears her own heart stutter in place and freezes, the little hairs at the back of her neck raising to attention. She follows the line of his still extended hand up the arm of his elegant suit and finally meets the warm dark eyes she hadn't known she'd never forgotten.

"Elijah." She breathes out a startled gasp.

"It's a pleasure to see you again." He says, eyes shining with amusement and lips twisted in that infuriating little way they always used to get whenever the two of them had opportunity to talk about anything other than someone they cared about dying.

She hasn't seen him since kissing him as Katherine and throwing his letter back in his face.

"It's nice to see you too." Elena tries, uncertain. They didn't exactly separate on the best of terms.

Elijah twists his head sideways, eyes turning searching and then he smiles. A real smile this time. "And I'm glad to see you're yourself, Elena."

She grimaces at the reminder of her run on the emotionless side and opens her mouth for words she hasn't yet come up with, when the elevator shudders to a sudden halt.

On instinct both of them turn away from each other to face the doors of the elevator, she feels the veins under her eyes coming to the surface as the predator within her comes into focus, sounds turning louder to her ears and eyes sharpening on every little movement around her.

So when Elijah moves again in front of her Elena can't help but notice every detail about him. His suit is fitted perfectly to his form, silver cuff-links with the initials E.M. on his wrists, his white collar accenting the sudden appeal of his throat, and perfectly human eyes looking at her with a hint of worry.

"There's a surveillance camera in the corner, Elena." Elijah tells her and at the reminder Elena forces the veins back as she breathes through the spike of adrenaline just as Caroline taught her. Then she feels embarrassment lurking in the confines of her chest, that was such a fledge reaction, it seems running so unexpectedly into Elijah has thrown her for a loop.

"Right." She says and turns serious. "So I guess we better wait for them to fix it and not… well, you know."

"I do believe that would be wise, yes." Elijah says and pushes the emergency button.

An awkward silence extends between them lasting at least a minute before it becomes too much for her and Elena can't help but say something that had on occasion bothered her right after she got back her emotions all those years back.

"I'm sorry, about what I said about your letter. It did mean a lot to me and I'm not at all glad I lost it in the fire." She stares at him as she says it and puts as much honesty as she can in her eyes.

His eyes are gentle and understanding as he nods at her.

After another extended pause where neither of them seem to be looking away and the elevator doesn't decide to turn on, Elena huffs and decides that this isn't going to work.

"Sit down." She says.

"Excuse me?"

"Standing like this is making this way more awkward than it needs to be. We should sit down as we wait." Elena says and then waves toward the wall behind him.

By the way he grimaces at the floor she guesses her suggestion is less than appealing to him but he follows her instructions anyway.

Satisfied, she sits on her own side.

"Was there anything in particular that was too awkward to talk about standing?" Elijah asks.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Elena asks instead of answering, there are too many things they could talk about that might turn awkward. Not that sitting down would change much.

"I'm trying to find a book they used to publish here, it's not in circulation anymore but they should have some records that could help me find some older copies." He says and then looks at her with as much intent as he ever has, it is as if no time has gone by at all. And maybe for someone who's a thousand years old it's like it hasn't. "And you?"

"I'm writing a book. It's almost ready for publishing, I just need to go through some last minute changes with my editor and then-" She starts telling him and then stops, remembering the last message she sent Mandy. The one that said she'd be there in a minute. She curses to herself and grabs her phone to update Mandy on her current situation.

"Sorry." She says once she's done.

"Congratulations, Elena." He tells her with a smile and Elena smiles back, excitement bubbling in her chest, she really is proud of finally getting published.

This time the silence that extends between them is more comfortable.

"So how are the Salvatores?" He asks, polite interest in his voice and a different kind of interest in his eyes.

The kind of interest that is not new and yet this is the first time Elena has let herself acknowledge it.

"Married to my two best friends." She tells him wryly.

"My brother will be crushed." Elijah says back, voice just as dry but his eyes alive in a way that she hasn't seen since that kiss.

"How's Katherine?" Elena asks, something souring in her stomach at the reminder. She might never have let herself think much about it but it's never a nice feeling to be kissed when they're thinking of someone else. And it's possible that from Elijah it kinda bothered her especially much. At least once she let herself feel again - not that it hadn't on some level bothered her even at the time.

"Somewhere in Europe the last time I checked." He says.

Before she's able to react there's the staticky sound of electric lights flickering before the elevator turns back on and starts moving.

They both get back on their feet and are back in their previous positions once the elevator doors open up on her floor.

"Well, it was nice to see you again." Elena says somewhat reluctant to leave, finding herself with the strange sensation of knowing she'll miss him now that she knows she'd been missing him until now, though she hadn't really known it until she saw him.

"It was." Elijah nods and then follows her out, extending his hand for her to take. She does with very little hesitation. "It would be even more so to see you again tonight. May I find you after your meeting with your editor?"

"I'd like that." Elena says, a slight smirk on her lips.

"Excellent." He says and then steps forward to hover his lips over her cheek. "And Elena? If we are to be honest with each other as we always tried to be I must admit a secret to you. I have never _once _mistaken you for anyone else."

And before she has a chance to translate the implication he lightly kisses her cheek and steps backwards into the elevator as the doors are sliding shut again.

*o0O0o*

**AN2**: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. And that if you do you tell me because I know I'm not going to get a lot of responses to this fic but it would mean a lot if I could get at least one or two.


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